sutton



F. A. SUTTON.

FUSE Foa P RoJEcmEs. APPLICATION FILET) DEC-.IS 1917.

l ,3 l 3, 65 l Patented Aug. 19, 1919..

' @ms MM. *if @www TM dlarnejls F. A. SUTTON.

FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

APPLICATION FILED DEc. I5. 1911.

1,313,651. v PaIenIedAug. 19,1919.

, EETS-SHEET 2.

' sirenas PATENT onirica.

i TON, a subject of the King more A. SUTTON, or onmnnsr, Asnnonn,ENGLAND, nssgroNon ToonenENcn c.

WILLIAMS, ACTING CHIEF 0F* OBDNANCE, UNITED -SLALES ARMY, TRUSTEE rnsn'non. rnoncrrnsns,

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that'I, FRANCIS ARTHUR Surof E land, residing .atOakhurst,Ashford, in t e county of Kent, England, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Fuses for Proj ectiles, of whichthe following is a speci-V cation. Y

My present invention has reference to an improved fuse for projectiles,which is'designed to cause an explosion of the pro- A jectile uponimpact.

Among projectiles of this type are those which are thrown from trenchmortars, and which must of necessity function whether the shell strikehead-on, end-on, or laterally. -Such shells, moreover, frequently fallupon soft'ground, where they become buried before they have time toexplode, and with such fuses as are now in usediculty has arisen byreason of the fact that where the shell buries itself in the mud or softground, such mud will oftentimes be forced into the interior mechanismof the fuse and lock it against operation; consequently, many suchshells are blinds and are ineffective.

l For the sake of safety in handling pro- Jectiles provided with fuses,and also to prevent premature explosion thereof in the gun, thefuses arefurnished with a locking device which retains the striker and `is itselfre- .tained by a bolt or the like which latter is released or set backby the shock of the discharge of the gun, whereby the locking de-V vice1s released and the striker is free to act on impact as desired. In thepresent instance the locking device (in one formV a pin and in anotherform a pawl) is so arrangedthat it does not move outwardly or clear ofthe fuse proper, but 1s carried laterally or outwardly entirely free ofthe striking mechanism and is preeluded from again coming into lockingposition, such action taking place as the pro- Two embodiments of theinventionare shown in the annexed drawings, wherein:

Figure-1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a fuse adaptedV to bescrewed lupon the nose of a projectile, the parts being in theirinoperative or locked position;

Fig, 2 a similar view, wherein the lock Specicaton o! Letters Patent.

Application med December 15, 1917. serial No. 207,313.

rat-enten nog. 1e', icio.V

or `pin for the striking mechanism has been automatically withdrawn;

Fig. 3 a side elevation of the fuse; Fig. 4 a top plan view thereof;Fig. 5 a transverse sectional view, taken on the line V-V of Fig. l;

Fig. 6 a vertical sectlonal view showing a modified construction, and inwhich the fuse sadapted to be screwed into anopening formed in theprojectile proper; and

Fig. A'7` a transverse sectional view, taken on the line VII-VII of Fig.6.

Referring -rst to the construction shown in Figs.` 1 to 5, l denotes themain body of Vthe fuse, provided with -a threaded opening 2 in its base,into which is adapted to be screwed a threaded nipple extending from thebody of the shell (not shown). ThisV opening communicates with thepowder chamber of the shell, or the powder charge may be placed in suchopening, .andis 1n direct communication, through a smaller opening 3,with the enlarged chamber 4 formed in the upper part of the body 1 'andadapted to contain the striking and detonating mechanism. The bottomwall 5 of the chamber is inclined or coned, and a cap-piece 6, which isscrewed into the Aupper portion of lthe body 1 and forms a closure forthe upper end of the chamber 4, is likewise coned uponits innerface.

The striker comprises a rounded head 7,

adapted to bear against the coned face of' the kcap-piece or closure 6,`a cylindrical stem 8,

and a pin 9 :fixedin the lower end thereof.V Said cylindrical stem 8extends into the upper part'of a cylindrical-member 10, makin a free fittherewith. The lower end of sal member lOis beveled to conform with thevertenfling opening i3, immediately below the lower end of the member 8,vraid opening etV being formed :for the reception of the Vbi Atransverse opening :orfbore-.QO is formedin the member 1a, and extendsthrough the adjacent Wall of the chamber lthe opening being providedWith a shoulder as 2l at its inner portion; or in other Words, the bore'or opening is, reduced in diameter as it enters the chamber 4. Thistransverse, radiallyf disposed bore or opening 2O is formed 1nalineinentr with the opening 13 formed in the cylindrical meniber10,'and the locking pin- 15 is adapted to be inserted through the boreor opening 20, so that its bifurcated end may pass through the opening13 in the cylindrica-l member lOand straddle the pin 9, thus locking thestriker and pin against any movementtovvard the detonating cap. A spring22 encircles the locking-pin, the inner end abutting against theshoulder 21 and the outer end bearing against the head 1G. The outer endor" the bore 20'is closed by a screwlug 23.

To hold thelocking pin in its locked position, as inflTig. 1, l employ aset-'back device, comprising a cylindricalstem or plunger 24, vvhiclrissur-mounted by a cup-shaped member 25 of a diameter to malte arelatively close lit with the bore or chamber 17, said cupshaped memberhaving a pin 26 extending. upwardly from the center thereof toa pointabove its upper edge. A .spring 27 encircles the stem Qa, the upper endof the spring bearing against the under face of the cup-shaped memberA25 and at its lower end against a shoulder 28 formed just above thebore or opening Q0. Nbrmally the-spring acts to force the set-'backdevice upwardly, and to restrain this upward 'movement and to hold thelower end of the cylindrical. stem or plunger Q-f in front of the head16 a. ball 29 is seated in the soclret or recess 19, as best shown inFig. 1, in line With the pin 26. So long as the ball is in place therecan be no upward movement of the set-back device and the parte are heldin the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 5; that is' to say, the lockingpin is held beneath the lower end of the stem 8 of the strikingmechanism, and the plunger 2a entends in front of the head 16 and thespring is under compression. Upon'the firing or the gun the set-backdevice 'will moveV downwardly, compressingthe spring and allowing theball 29 to drop out of the socket 19 anddnto the cup 25. The :etlbaclrdef-rice is then tree to 'move upwardly to the position sho-Wn in Fig'.2, the pin 26 heingfree to enter the sechster recess 19, and in suchposition the lower end of the plunger 2a will clear the head 16 andallor-fthe spring Q2 to torce the locking pin laterally and Withdraw itsbifurcated end from out of locking contact with the strilv4 ingrmechanism. Said mechanism will then -be free to operate., as upon impactof the projectile,v in any direction, either head-on, laterally, orend-on, and cause a detonation of the cap 511 .and aconsequentdetonation of the charge Within the shell.`

A` modication of the invention is disclosed in Fig. 6, wherein 30denotes the body of the fuse, the lower end of 'Which is exteriorlythreaded and adapted to be-screwed into an opening formed Vin the shellor proiectile'. The lower portion of said body 1s provided with a powdervchamber 31', closed at its lower end by a light diaphragm 32. Anopening 33 extends from the upper portion or the body or chamber 31 intothe main chamber in which the detonating mechanism is mounted. The lowerWall of saidchamber is,coned,` as at 35, and the upper end ot thechamber is closed by a. screw-plug 36, its inner face 37 being coned, sothat when it is screwed into position such face o'rms a continuation ofthe coned surface 38, formed upon the inner Wall ot' 'the chamber.

The striking mechanism may be said to comprise a hammer having a head39. a cylindrical stem 40, and a pin 41. Immediately belov the head 39the stenitO is pro vided with a concave annular groove 4:9.. A secondgroove or channel 43 is formed around the stem. The stein is seated in acylindrical member 44, the lower end or which is preferably enlarged,forming a head 115, th'e lower end of said head being: coned to tit theconed tace 35. The enlarged head 45 is counter-bored to receive adetonating cap 116, which underlies an opening '-17 in line with the pin41. A, spring 48. interposed betiveen the lovver end of the member 40and the shouldered portion of the head 45,V normally holds the part-sseparated, withthe pin out of operative relation with the underlyingcap. To lock the parts in this position and to enable the fuse to bereadil)r handled Without danger of premature explosion, the followingdevices are employed: The cylindrical member 44 lis cut away at oneside, asat 49, to admit ot the entrance of a. lockingr head or dctent 50formed upon the upper end of a springT arxnl, the arm tending. under itsspring"r action, to swing out Wardly, as. shown in dotted lines in 6.The head is of such form as to enter the groove or channel 43, and toprevent movementor the strilrer with reference to the cylindrical member14. The lower end of the is preferably formed integrally with a pair ofarms or fingers 52 which eniorace'the cylindrical member 14 above theLerenti head 45,*and a lip 53 formed as a part of said head 45, will beturned over or peened against the arms 52 to securely hold said arms andthe spring lin To hold the head 50 in locking .engagement with the stem40, I employ a sleeve 54, which is slidably mounted upon the upper endof the cylindrical member 44C, said sleeve being provided with a. cup 55in which is mounted a ball 56. The ball, as wili be seen upon referenceto Fig. 6, is of such size as to fill the space between the groove 42and the ad- .jacent wall of the cup, and will prevent upward movement ofthe cup and sleeve so long as it remains in the posltion showm Normallythe sleeve and cup are held in their upper position by a spring 57,which encircles the sleeve and the cylindrical member 44,'bearing at oneend on the under face of the cup and at its opposite face on the head45. The upper end of the cylindrical member 44 will be given a downwardor outward bevel, and the upper edge of the :cup will likewise be iven asimilar bevel, this to facilitate the ball running out of the cup andover the upper end of the cylindrical member 44 when the cup is 4moveddownwardly under set bach upon the discharge of the gun.- The ball whenthus freed passes out into the chamber within 'the fuse, and the sleeveand cup-shaped member (which may be termed a latch) then move upwardly'to the dotted-line osition showndn F ig. 6, permitting the loc 'ngdevice'or head 50 to be moved outwardly through the action of the springarm 51, which in the form illus trated is integral with said lockingelement 50. Thus the detonating mechanism is freed and the parts willfunction (asis well understood by those skilled in the' art) immediatelythe projectile strikes against an object, whetherl the blow be head-on,end-on 'or sidewise. In other words, the detonating mechanism in bothforms ofthe structure may be said to be an all-way fuse, which willfunction no matter how the projectile hits.

Having thus describdd my invention', what I claim is: v

1. n combination with a projectile, a fuse therefor adapted to functionupon impact of the projectile head-on, base-on or laterally; a lockingdevice for the fuse; a spring serving to withdraw said locking device; alatch' of the set-back type for holding said locking device in position;anda ball normally holding the latch in operative ref lation with thelocking device.

2. lin combination with a projectile, a `fuse therefor adapted tofunction upon impact of the projectile head-on, base-on or latterally; alock for holding` said fuse in safe locked position; means independentof any rotative action of the projectile or fuse to retract said lock:and to thereby release the use; a latch of the eet-hach type adaptedroper position.`

to 'holdl the lock in locking relation; a cup carried by said latch; anda ball interposed between the latch and an'adj a'cent portion of thefuse and serving to hold the latch in operative relation .with the lock.

3. In combination with a projectile, a fuse therefor adapted to functionupon impact of the projectile head-on, base-on orlater'- ally; a lochtherefor; a spring serving to withdraw said lock; a latch ofthe set-backtype cooperating with the lock; a'j cup carried by said latch; a ballcooperating with the latch and an adjacent portion of the structure tohold the latch in Contact with the lock; and a spring serving to movethe latch outof the path of the lock when the ball is released fromholding relation with the latch. upon the set-back of the latch on 'thepassage of the projectile from the gun.

4r. In combination with a projectile, a fuse therefor comprising twotelescopingelements; a lock serving to prevent relative movement ofsaidelements; a spring acting to withdraw said lock; a latch for thelock; a spring serving to move the latch out of engagement with thelock; and a ball normally holding the latch in' engagement with thelock, said ball being free to move out of contact with the latch uponset-back of the latch on the passage of the projectile from the gun.

5. n combination with a projectile, a fuse therefor, saidfuse comprisinga body having a chamber formed therein; a cylindrical member; a hammerextending into one end ofvv said cylindrical member, said hammer beingprovided with a circumferential groove; al-locking device secured to thecylindrical member and adapted to enter the groove to thereby lock theparte together; a spring serving to move saidlocking device outwardly torelease the parts; a latch slidably mounted upon the cylindrical member,the lo`wer end thereofpassing over the locking. member; a spring servingnormally to move the latch out of operative relation with the lockingdevice; and a ball interposed between the latch and the head of thehammer. said ball servingn to hold the iateh in its depressed operativeposition 'enters an opening formed in the side wall of the cylindricalmember and passes into a channel formed in the stem; a latch for clinedfso as to: permitthe ball to readily said spring, said latch comprisinga, sleeve moveoutwardlyupon the set-back of the 10 and a cupsurmountingthe same; a, spring laftohf--when the projectile passes-fromthe serving to elevate said latch; and'faJ ball gun;

seated Within the cup, and bearin 'against In tesbimonywhereof Irhavetsigned .my the 'under face of the head and t e upper. name-'tothisspecication. v

edgeof the clip, and the upper end of the A cylindrical member beingdownwardly n- FRANCIS A. SUTTON.

